title: Penetration of levofloxacin into lung tissue after oral administration to subjects undergoing lung biopsy or lobectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the pulmonary tissue distribution of levofloxacin, the new once-daily fluoroquinolone, after a single 500-mg oral dose.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-label study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One pulmonary clinic and two university-affiliated teaching hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen adults undergoing lung biopsy or lobectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levofloxacin plasma and lung tissue concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Lung tissue levofloxacin concentrations were corrected for blood contamination by measuring hemoglobin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a single 500-mg oral dose, concentrations of levofloxacin in lung tissue consistently exceeded those in plasma at every time point over the 24-hour sampling period, with tissue:plasma penetration ratios of 2.02 (2-3 hrs), 5.02 (4-6 hrs), 5.13 (11-17 hrs), and 4.13 (22-25 hrs). The mean penetration ratio over the 24-hour sampling period was 3.95 (range 1.06-9.98). Lung tissue concentrations of levofloxacin also exceeded minimum inhibitory concentration values for most community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens over the 24 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports clinical evaluation of levofloxacin as once-daily oral therapy for community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Global Clinical Pharmacology Department, Hoechst Marion Roussel Inc, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807-0880, USA.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gotfried
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Dix
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Fish
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011013:Pneumonectomy
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin